Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Keeper's Arena

Epilogue

Please READ the note before this to understand the setting and time. You'll thank me later!

A clang of metal forced Jade to move her arms away from each other. The new armor would take some time getting used to, especially the chest-plate. It was dark with orange markings; a rusty orange that reminded Jade of Vresha's mountains. She had spent at least twenty minutes trying to get the color right, picturing the landscape in her mind's eye. Her jacket was no longer green but a steel grey, and the undergarments were a mix of dull colors. Her trusty thigh bag, of course, remained in its rightful spot. Her hair was in a sophisticated braid; far more agreeable than a ponytail that often sent tendrils of hair down and across her forehead.

Jade scooted backwards as a masked figure on the ground craned his neck and scanned the edge of the roof. She held very still, waiting for the voices to resume. When they did, Jade waited a few more seconds before peering over the edge again. The grime of the gutter reached her nostrils, and she resisted the urge to cough.

She could not, under any circumstances, give away her position. Tech had already warned – no, that was Echo. Jade swallowed hard, mad at herself for even bringing his name to her attention. She tried not to think of Omega, either, but even that was a futile effort. What had Echo said?

"They're going to kill the deliverer, which limits our ability to track potential suspects. I don't know what sort of news he's delivering, but you can't miss it. If you do, well –"

"We'll keep trying," Hunter had added to Echo's remark, no hesitancy in his tone.

Still, Jade knew they were running out of options. Any kind of step closer to rescuing Omega was a step worth taking. The masked man scanned their surroundings one last time – there wasn't much activity except for a few bars, but most people who stumbled out were far too occupied with the drink in their hands – and withdrew a case from the storage compartment on his speeder. The other man ran a hand through his beard and rested it there, nodding for the masked man to continue. The lid opened, and a shiny blue illuminated the bearded man's face. The corner of his mouth ticked upwards, but he lifted his eyes, eyelids heavy with excitement. Dangerous excitement.

He murmured in approval, and the masked man snapped the case shut. Jade scratched her head, confusion itching her brain. Her eyes widened, and her fingers froze. The blue light thrust a memory into her mind she had long since buried. She had stumbled upon something that wouldn't lead them to Omega, but something much worse. Unless the two were connected? The expanse of unknown was overwhelming.

"G. Recovery and Analysis; we owe a lot to them," the masked man said, and Jade held a hand to her mouth to keep from blowing her cover.

"I didn't think they would finish what they started," the bearded man chuckled, and he lifted his blaster. "But I guess those facilities make it easier for them to improve the remains."

The case dropped to the ground, and the masked man flinched and scrambled. A laser thudded into his back, and his stumbling sent him sliding across the dirt. The bearded man picked up the case and settled on the dead man's bike, and Jade was too frozen to do anything about it. She sat up on her knees. Was everything she knew about her childhood a lie? Was her last name more tainted than she had already made it?

Jade's communication device hailed her, and Jade held a finger to the button.

"Hunter," Jade said, her voice trembling. "It's like I saw a ghost, but it's more than one. Finding Omega may be more difficult than we thought, and it's already difficult. We may be able to get some answers if we can detain this man. Be ready."

Jade rested her blaster against the edge of the roof and slowly turned it towards the back of the speeder. A small device shot out of the barrel and drifted towards the vehicle, then magnetized with a quiet snap.

"How important is this man?" Hunter asked.

"It's imperative that we stop him," Jade said, standing up and running across the roof.

"What did you do?" Echo sighed.

"Don't wait for me, just go! I'll catch up."

Several minutes later, Jade looked up to see the Marauder soar above her head.